Toll booths became a thing of the past in Tarrytown on April 24, as the New York State Thruway Authority implemented a cashless tolling system.
On Sunday April 24, travelers on the Tappan Zee Bridge said goodbye to the lines at the Tarrytown toll plaza thanks to cashless tolling. The state-of-the-art technology created a new traffic pattern in the area, eliminating the need for toll booths and speeding commutes across the river.
As many Tappan Zee Bridge travelers know, the toll plaza is often congested, especially during the weekday morning rush. The shift to cashless tolling promises to improve southbound traffic flow and air quality because vehicles will no longer idle in lengthy toll-collection lines.
The transition to cashless tolling followed months of testing and the installation of two all-electronic toll collection gantries, one on the southbound New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) and one on the on-ramp near exit 10 in South Nyack. The gantries soon will collect tolls at highway speeds via E-ZPass or Tolls by Mail, applying the correct toll for passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, buses and motorcycles.
Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC) will continue to help redesign the area around the Tarrytown toll plaza to allow traffic to seamlessly shift from the bridge. The toll plaza is no longer staffed and a handful of lanes are currently taken out of service. This allows TZC to continue removing portions of the toll plaza, creating unobstructed lanes for commuters in the coming weeks. Each phase of the process is detailed below:
Phase 1 went into effect just after midnight on April 24 as the cashless tolling system was activated. The four right eastbound lanes of the toll plaza are taken out of service, allowing TZC to remove that portion of the toll plaza structure. The remaining lanes are open to traffic at reduced speeds. Motorists should approach with caution and follow the posted 20 mph speed limit through the unstaffed toll plaza.
Phase 2 will take effect approximately one month after April 24. The four right eastbound lanes will be unobstructed, allowing traffic to seamlessly shift from the bridge to the Thruway. TZC will then remove the remaining toll plaza structure and create landings for the new bridge.
Learn more about E-ZPass, Tolls by Mail and the Cashless Tolling system.
